Airlines warned on possible Olympics toothpaste bombs

WASHINGTON - Airlines flying into Russia in advance of the Winter Olympic Games are being advised that terror operatives could fabricate explosives from toothpaste tubes, a federal law enforcement official said Wednesday.

The official, who has been briefed on the matter but is not authorized to comment publicly, said the warning was not based on a specific threat and it was still unclear whether launching such an attack was viable.

Information about the possible threat was picked up in a stream of intelligence that authorities have been analyzing in advance of the Sochi Games, which have been threatened by Islamist extremists.

The official said the decision to alert the airlines was made out of an abundance of caution and may likely be the first of many such bulletins issued related to possible threats in Russia.